[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/list-of-words-having-different-meanings-in-american-and-british-english-m-z\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/list-of-words-having-different-meanings-in-american-and-british-english-m-z\/","headline":"List of words having different meanings in American and British English (M\u2013Z)","name":"List of words having different meanings in American and British English (M\u2013Z)","description":"Word British English meanings Meanings common to British and American English American English meanings saloon closed car having two or","datePublished":"2017-04-11","dateModified":"2017-04-11","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":100,"height":100},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/list-of-words-having-different-meanings-in-american-and-british-english-m-z\/","wordCount":4888,"articleBody":"WordBritish English meaningsMeanings common to British and American EnglishAmerican English meaningssaloonclosed car having two or (usu.) four doors, a front and rear seat and a separate boot\/trunk (US: sedan)(saloon bar) posh bar within a pub or hotelpassengers’ lounge on a liner or luxury train (US approx.: parlor car)officers’ dining room on a merchant shipbar, especially in the American Old Westbar that serves only spirits and no fooda room in a house used for receiving guests; a salonscalp (v.)\u00a0to cut the scalp off; to take something away(n.) trophy, spoils of victory (informal)to resell (as tickets) at higher prices (UK: tout)to trade (as stocks) for quick profitsschemeofficial systematic plan (as of the government) (“a pension scheme”)(Scotland) Low-cost public housing (US: project)a plan, often secret or devious; a plot (“criminal scheme”)\u00a0schoolplace of primary or secondary educationgrouping of departments or large department within a university faculty (among other meanings, e.g., a group of experts sharing perspective or methods, or a group of fish)any educational institution; in school: state of being a pupil in any school normally serving minor children of any age, or in a college or university at any level; at school: usually, physically present on campus. (UK: at school for both)scrappynot neatly organised or poora scrappy player is one who sometimes plays well, but often plays badly.fragmentarybellicose or fightingly determineda scrappy player is one who compensates for a lack of size or speed with grit and determination.second (v.)to transfer temporarily to alternative employment (pronounced \/s\u0268\u02c8k\u0252nd\/, to rhyme with “beyond”)to endorse, support, or bring reinforcements\u00a0section (v.t.)to detain under the Mental Health Act 1983On section, detained in a mental hospital.to cut or slice into sections\u00a0sedan\u00a0a chair or windowed cabin, carried by at least two porters in front and behinda common car body style (UK: saloon, q.v.)seeded (grapes, etc.)with the seeds left in\u00a0having had the seeds removed (uncommon usage) (also seedless, used in UK)semisemi-detached house (US: duplex), semi-erection (vulgar)\u00a0semi-trailer truck (UK: articulated lorry)set squarea triangular object used in technical drawing (US: triangle)\u00a0a T-square (also used in technical drawing)shade\u00a0penumbra, partial obscurity; nuance(pl.) sunglasses (orig. US); reminder of the pastwindow blinda sneer, or derisive remark (slang, especially as in “throw shade“)shagto copulate, or copulate with [understood in some (but certainly not all) demographics in the US also, see Austin Powers]a seabird (various members of the cormorant family)a kind of fabric with a thick, long strands; often used in carpetslong, matted hair (cf. Shaggy from the Scooby-Doo cartoon)a type of shredded coarse tobacco(v.) to chase after; to chase and fetch (as a fly ball in baseball)a style of long hair with numerous layers (not matted or untidy)a kind of a dance, associated with “beach music,” esp. from the Carolinas (orig. US)shatteredexhaustedbroken into many small pieces.devastated emotionally\u00a0sherbeta fizzy powdered confectionery\u00a0a type of frozen dessert (also spelled sherbert; UK similar: sorbet)sheriffchief royal peace officer of a county, now (as high sheriff) largely only a ceremonial role (England and Wales)local judge, in full sheriff-depute or sheriff-substitute (Scotland)\u00a0elected chief legal officer of a county, usu. also in charge of the county’s law enforcement service; elsewhere any member of a county (vs. state or local) policeshinglepebbles, particularly those on the seashore *to cut a woman’s hair in an overlapping style(shingles) a painful disease of the skin, caused by the chickenpox viruswooden roof tileto cover a roof with wooden tilessign proclaiming one’s name and calling (“hang a shingle out”)to cover something like a shingled roofship (verb), shipping\u00a0To transport goods by sea, movement of goods by seaRelationship (fandom)To transport goods, movement of goodsShipping & handling, standard form of charge for delivery of goods (UK: Postage & packing)shopconsumer retail establishment of any size (US: store); hence shopfront (US: storefront), shop-soiled (US: shopworn), shop assistant (US: (sales) clerk)workshop, only in combination (“machine shop”)to buy at a retail establishment of any sizesmall or specialized consumer retail establishment (e.g. coffee shop, dress shop);workshop;shop class: practical class at school taught in a workshop, i.e. industrial arts(overlaps with Design and Technology (England & Wales) and Technical (Scotland) curricula);shortening of Automobile repair shop (UK: garage, car mechanic).shortsstrong alcoholic drinks served in multiples of 25 ml, sometimes with mixers (US & UK also: shots)short trousers (US: short pants)underpants, boxers(take it in one’s shorts) endure a painful situation (“He really took it in the shorts that time.”)shotShot (disambiguation)an injection with a hypodermic needle, as in the case of an inoculation (UK: jab)shower\u00a0spray of water used to wash oneselfa short period of raina celebratory party where gifts are given to an individual e.g. a baby shower to celebrate an imminent birthsic\u00a0Latin for “Thus”, “just so” \u2014 states that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, usu. despite errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact.pronunciation spelling of “seek” used as a dog command, and by extension as a verb meaning to set (as a dog, etc.) to attack someone (“I’ll sic my attorney on you”)sick(to be sick) to vomit (off sick) not at work because of illness(n.) vomit (“a puddle of sick”)unwell, not in good health (except with “to be” in UK English)[59](slang) disgusting (corruption of sickening)(slang) cool, good, interesting(to be sick [somewhere]) nauseous(out sick) not at work because of illnesssickiea day taken as sick leave, esp. when not actually illa mentally ill or perverted person (also: sicko)sideboard(pl.) sideburns, side-whiskersan item of furniture also known as buffet\u00a0siding\u00a0a dead-end railway track leading off the main line and used to store rolling stocka short section of railroad track connected by switches with a main track, enabling trains on the same line to pass (UK: loop)external wall covering, cladding, weatherboardingsilencerdevice to silence a car\/automobile (US: muffler)device to silence a firearm\u00a0silka Queen’s Counselmaterial made from unwound silkworm cocoons(silky) smooth, having the texture of silk (cf., silky words)the silky, pistillate flower of corn (maize)a parachute (orig. slang of the United States Air Force)silverwarethings made from silver, including bowls, spoons, etc. Also trophies won by a sports team (i.e. FA Cup, Challenge Cup…)\u00a0eating implements (spoon, fork, knife) (UK: cutlery; US also flatware)sketchylacking detail or substance[60][61]questionable, disreputable[60][61]skillet(regional dialect) a frying pana type of stir-fried food item\u00a0a frying pan, often cast irona long-handled stewing pan or saucepan, often having short legs or feetskip (n.)large rubbish container (US approx: Dumpster)an act of leaping or omitting; see skip (radio), skip (in audio playback)one who disappears without paying their debts (“finding a good skip tracer is harder than finding your debtors”) (UK: Gone Away)skive (v.)to avoid work or school (play truant)v. to cut or pare leather\/rubber; n. an indentation made from skiving\u00a0skivvya scullery maid or lowest servant doing menial work, somebody at the bottom of the pecking order[origin of both senses is unknown; they are likely unrelated] [note that skivvy has a third distinct meaning in Australian English](pl.) men’s underwear (trademark; colloquial when used in lower case)slag(derogatory) promiscuous woman (US & UK also: slut)a general insult directed at someone of either sexA product from the iron-smelting blast furnace; mainly used in tarmac production\u00a0slash(colloq.) an act of urinating (“to have a slash”)to cut drasticallythe symbol ‘\/’ (orig. US) (also virgule, solidus; UK also: oblique, stroke)short for slash fiction, a genre of fan fiction that explores romantic or sexual relationships between same-sex charactersan open tract in a forest strewn with debris, especially from logginga swampy areaslate(v.) to disparage (“many critics have slated the film”), hence slating(n.) a type of rock; a greyish colour(v.) to cover with slate(v.) to schedule *(“slated for demolition”)to designate (a candidate, as for political office)(n.) a list of candidatessleeperA horizontal member which lies beneath, and binds together, the rails of a railway. (US: railroad tie, crosstie)A railway vehicle providing sleeping accommodation (a sleeping car).Sleeper agent \u2013 A deep cover secret agentSleeper (automobile), an automobile modified for high performance but with a normal-looking exterior (UK: Q-car)sleetsnow that has partially thawed on its fall to the ground\u00a0(partially) frozen raindrops, ice pellets; a mixture of rain and snow or hail; also, glaze (q.v.)slough (hydrology)(usu. pronounced \/\u02c8sla\u028a\/, to rhyme with “plough”)a marshy area, a swampa secondary channel; a small backwater; a pond (usu. pronounced \/\u02c8slu\u02d0\/ and often spelled slew)Smartiesa sugar-coated chocolate confectionery manufactured by Nestl\u00e9 (similar to M&M’s)\u00a0a fruit-flavored tablet candy produced by Ce De Candy, Incsmashed\u00a0beaten, destroyed as in “it was smashed”Exceedingly drunksmokestack\u00a0a system (as a pipe) for venting hot gases and smoke: such a system on buildings, locomotives (UK primarily: chimney or funnel), and ships (UK & US also: funnel)(attrib.) heavy industry, manufacturing industry *(“smokestack industries”, “smokestack stocks”)smudge\u00a0a blurry spot or streaka smouldering mass placed on the windward side to protect from frost or keep insects away (as in smudge pot)snoutpolice informanttobacco (slang)pig’s nosenose (slang)\u00a0sodunpleasant person, originally short for sodomite (“He’s a sod, isn’t he?”)unfortunate person when prefixed by ‘poor’ (“The poor sod’s had his wallet nicked.”) or ‘silly’ (“The silly sod really got it knackered.”); also an exclamation of frustration, esp. as an abbreviation for sodomy: “Sod it!”layer of grass and earth (in UK in a formal\/literary sense), cf. ‘sodden’turfsodacarbonated water, or any non-alcoholic drink made with it, but not usu. one sold ready-mixedany of various chemical compounds containing sodium (as sodium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate), carbonated water(regional) carbonated soft drink, usu. one sold ready-mixed (also ‘pop,’ ‘soda pop’) (UK: fizzy drink or colloquially (fizzy) pop)solicitorlawyer who advises clients, represents them in the lower courts, and prepares cases for barristers to try in higher courts *(considered overly formal in US)\u00a0one that solicits (e.g. contributions to charity), an advertiser, a salesperson, a promoter; often annoyingchief law officer of a city, town, or government departmentsolitairepeg-jumping puzzle game (see peg solitaire)\u00a0any of a family of one-player card games (see solitaire) (UK: patience)sort (v.)to deal with; hence sorted as expression of appreciation; (slang) to be adequately supplied with narcoticsall used with out:to arrange or take care of (something) *to solve an esp. difficult situation (also reflexive) *(informal) to set (someone) straight, or to get even with (someone)sorted, to have or get fixed, have problems worked out, so things are working correctly (“He’s really got it sorted now.”)to arrange or classify; often used with out\u00a0spannergeneral term for a tool used for turning nuts, bolts, etc. (US: wrench, q.v.)something interfering (US: (monkey) wrench)\u00a0a wrench with holes or pins at its end for meshing with the object to be turned (UK: C spanner)spaz(offensive) Incompetent, useless, disabled person (from spastic, person with cerebral palsy)\u00a0uncoordinated, hyperactive, messing something up. Can be used self-referentially. Has less offensive connotations in American usage.spigot\u00a0a spile in a caska tap or faucetspook\u00a0a ghost; a spy, government undercover agent (both orig. US)a black person (insulting)spottypimply (“a spotty teenager”)\u00a0of inhomogeneous quality (“a spotty record”)sprouts (n.)brussels sprouts\u00a0alfalfa sproutsspunk(vulgar) seminal fluid (US: cum)courage, daring, or enthusiasm\u00a0squash (n.)fruit cordial drink (squash (drink))sport (squash (sport))*vegetable (squash (plant))*(UK also gourd)squat\u00a0(n.) premises occupied by squatters (v.)to occupy (as premises) illegallyto bend deeply at the knees while resting on one’s feet(n.) the act of squattingan exercise in weightlifting(n.) nothing (slang; short for diddly-squat)(more at cop)stabiliser (UK), stabilizer (US & UK)(pl.) additional wheels to help learner cyclists (US: training wheels)something that stabilises, as stabilizer (aircraft) or stabilizer (chemistry)\u00a0stall(pl.) front seats in a theatre (US: orchestra)compartment for an animal in a barna booth or counter (as in a marketplace)seat in a church’s choirabrupt loss of lift of an airfoil due to excessive angle of attackcompartment containing a shower or toilet (UK: cubicle)a marked-off parking spaceenclosure for a locomotive in a roundhouse(box stall) compartment in a barn where an animal can move untethered (UK: loose box)stand (v.)to be a candidate in an election *(US: run)to be vertical; to remain stationary; to buy (someone) (something)\u00a0starterfirst course of a meal *(US usu. appetizer); more s.v. entreeone that starts (as a device to start an engine)transportation dispatcher or elevator (q.v.) dispatcherstarting pitcher (baseball)the official who starts a track race.stash(v.) to quit, put an end to (“to stash it”)(v.) to store away [old criminals’ slang revived in US](n.) a hiding place, or something (esp. drug or liquor) stored away*staycationtravelling for pleasure or business within one’s country (US: domestic vacation)a holiday or vacation where the people return home each night (or most nights)stickabuse, insult, or denigration (“to give stick“)a long, thin piece of woodstone(pl. usu. stone) 14 pounds in weight (14\u00a0lb), normally used when specifying a person’s weight (“My weight is twelve stone four”, meaning 12 stone and 4 pounds; US “172 pounds”)a small rock\u00a0stoopA post or pillar, especially a gatepost. (Rare except in dialect).forwards bend of the spine bringing the shoulders in front of the hipsdive of a predatory bird towards its preyraised porch or entrance veranda (orig. Dutch; esp. Northeast). Also refers to the external stairs leading up to a row house, “Sitting on the stoop.”storeplace for storage of items not needed for immediate use*large consumer retail establishment (as department store or superstore)consumer retail establishment of any size (UK: shop), e.g. grocery store, hardware store, convenience store, dime store; hence storefront (UK: shopfront), storekeeper (UK: shopkeeper)story\u00a0an account of events, usu. fictional but sometimes factuala floor of a building (UK: storey)stovea hothouse or greenhouse for plantsthe grate of a fireplacewood- or coal-burning room-heating appliance (but in AmE this usage almost always limited to historical contexts, e.g. “one-room schoolhouses usually had potbelly stoves for warmth.”)(or cookstove) appliance for cooking food *\u2013 compare range (UK usu. cooker)see also Franklin stovestraight away, straightaway(usu. spaced) immediately, right away *\u00a0(solid) a straight (in a road, racecourse, etc.)strikea good solid shot, as in scoring a goal in soccer(Strike off) to remove a professional’s license (e.g., for attorneys: US disbar) (“What do you call a priest who’s been stricken off?” \u2013 Dick Francis)to temporarily stop working (often as part of a union)knock down all pins in bowlingto ignite a matchto miss, as to miss the ball with the bat in baseball,(strike three, three strikes) (colloq., from baseball) gone, fired, ejected; said of someone especially after they’ve been given three chances to improve their (presumably) bad behavior (“Strike three, he’s out!”)strokeslash symbol (\/)cerebrovascular accidentstroke (rowing), various meanings in the sport of rowingstroke play, a scoring system used in golfswimming stroke, a swimming stylea scuba diver not following the rules of Doing It Rightstroke (engine), a single action of some enginesthe recognition, attention or responsiveness that one person gives another in transactional analysisstudent\u00a0person studying at a post-secondary educational institutionperson studying at any educational institution *stuff (v)to have sex \u2013 often used as a milder form of “fuck”, e.g. “Get stuffed!” *(for “Fuck off!”), “Our team got stuffed in the match”, etc.to pack tightly with, especially with food: “I’m stuffed”=”I’ve eaten too much”.\u00a0subto subsidise (pay for something in place of someone else \u2013 often used for any sort of informal loan)(in newspaper publishing) edit copy for length or house style (in full: sub-edit)subscription (UK: membership dues, as in an association or club)sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy rank)subaltern (British Army second lieutenant or lieutenant)subscription: a purchase by prepayment for a certain number of issues, as of a periodicalsubmarine(n. & v.) substitute (usu. in sport)(sexual) submissivesubstitute teacher (UK: supply teacher)to teach in place of the normal teacher(regional) submarine sandwich*subdivision\u00a0the process or an instance of subdividingthe division of a tract of land into lots (q.v.) for the purpose of sale, or the tract of land so divided. (UK: estate, development)subwaypedestrian underpassGlasgow subterranean railway(Subway) restaurant chain for submarine sandwichesunderground commuter railway (UK: underground or tube)suckto draw something by suctionto be of poor quality, objectionable, very bad (informal)[62][63][64]sucker\u00a0One who sucks (lit. and fig.): fool, dupe, gullible personSecondary shoot produced from the roots of a plantA lollipopany person or thing (used either humorously or in annoyance)suds\u00a0(n.) froth, lather; (v.) to lather(v.) to form suds; hence sudser (a soap opera) and adj. sudsy (in both lit. & fig. senses)(n.) beer, less commonly root beersuperintendentsenior police rank (US approx.: deputy inspector)senior official in various undertakings (railways, public works, etc.)person in charge of a building (UK: caretaker)the head of a school district or a State Department of Educationsometimes, the head of a police department(dated) a train conductorsurgerythe place where a physician or dentist practises (US: (doctor’s) office);[65]the period of time in which they are available for consultation; a period of time in which a politician is available to constituents, for consultation[66][13][67][68][69][70]act of performing a medical operation\u00a0suspenderselasticated support for stockings (US: garter)\u00a0elasticated support for trousers (UK: braces, q.v.)swedeSwedish (yellow) turnip (US: rutabaga)(Swede) a person from Sweden\u00a0sweet(n.) An after-meal dessert, more s.v. candy(adj.) Sweet-tasting; (adj.) to describe someone who is kind, gentle, or giving(n.) Short for sweetheart. Also, to be sweet on someone is to have a crush on them.(adj.) used to describe something as good (“That car is sweet!”)switch\u00a0(n.) see switch, telephone switch, network switch(v.) to operate a switchto exchange, swap, make a shift(n.) mechanism that allows a railway vehicle to change tracks (UK: points); hence switch engine or switcher (UK: shunter), switchyard (UK: marshalling yard), switch tower (UK: signal box)(v.) to change tracks by means of a switchsee also bait and switchswitchbacka road or railway that alternately ascends and descendsa roller coaster\u00a0a zigzagging road or railway, usu. in the mountains; also, a hairpin turn in a road or trail"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki43\/list-of-words-having-different-meanings-in-american-and-british-english-m-z\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"List of words having different meanings in American and British English (M\u2013Z)"}}]}]